Meet the Jurors of Quilt Visions 2022

Sheila Frampton Cooper

It was a great honor to be asked to be one of the jurors for Quilt Visions 2022, and I was in excellent company with Lisa and Petra!

There was an abundance of beautiful work to choose from, and the biggest challenge for me was that we could only accept a very small percentage. In making my selections I considered the overall composition, color relationships, contrast, depth and the unique approaches each artist engaged in to express their point of view. Bringing together three different artists to jury, with different points of view and preferences, I feel has produced a dynamic and diverse exhibition.

The process itself was enjoyable and enlightening and reading the stories of many of the entries touched me deeply. Our experiences over the last few years have had a big influence on many of the artists. It is fascinating to observe how we all express our personal experiences, which include loss and joy.

Another aspect I really enjoyed was the process of making the case for why our selections should be included. It was collaborative, respectful, and overall, we were definitely in agreement.

Thank you to all of the artists who poured their hearts into creating beautiful work, my fellow jurors, and Visions for inviting me to be a part of this exhibition.

About the Juror

After channeling her artistic muse to painting, jewelry making, and architectural photography for many years, Sheila plunged into abstract quilt-making in 2010. Guided by no plan, no sketch, and no agenda, but fed by intuition and inspired by nature’s palette, she speeds into journeys of revelation and surprise in her quilt studio. Her live intensity is apparent in the colors, lines, and shapes of her improvisational textile works.

“Whether I’m painting, drawing or piecing a studio quilt, moving head first into the unknown fuels my creativity.” Sheila said. “I relish all the surprising discoveries along the way as the journey starts to reveal itself to me.”

Since embarking on her fiber art adventure, Sheila has won awards at major quilt shows, including: IQA World of Beauty in Houston, AQS Show in Paducah, and Road to California. Her work has been exhibited in the United States, France, Germany, Italy, England, China, and Japan.

After living in France for nearly 6 years, Sheila returned to the US and currently lives in Ventura, California.

Petra Fallaux

The biennial call for Quilt Visions motivates and propels many artists to make new work. It was an honor to have the opportunity to review the three hundred and fifty worthy entries by one hundred sixty-one amazing artists for Quilt Visions 2022. The positive energy between the jurors added to a seamless selection process during which I thoroughly enjoyed our rewarding discussions and distinct points of view.

As with any juried exhibition, the final selection of thirty works is a comparative process. What engages me is not necessarily the same as what might interest someone else. However, while some criteria can’t be articulated objectively, clear focus, competent fiber skills, a strong visual character, and great composition must be evident in the best of the work.

Our final selections for the exhibition represent a wide variety of techniques, as well as a balance between figurative and abstract work. Unexpected collisions of form and texture energize some of the most engaging works, exploring the periphery of the observed and abstract. Leah Higgins’ Artefact 2 hints beautifully at vessels that appear to disappear through surface design techniques conjuring archaeology and passing time. The title of Jan Soules’ pieced abstract quilt, Finding Neverland #5: Blue Lagoons helps the viewer to narrow possible interpretations. Victoria Findlay Wolfe’s modern Ode to Evening utilizes blocks, repetition, and scale, playfully winking at classic quilt design history while exquisitely invoking ideas and imagery of trees, views, and evening light.

Among the figurative work submitted for the exhibition, portraits and birds were popular subjects. Fuzzy Mall’s portrait is a whimsical ‘fuzzy face’ affair, contained only by superimposed rectangular shapes, while Clara Nartey’s joyous face in All Lit Up is delightfully illuminated by an impressive display of thread painting. The anonymous, faceless birds in Holly Cole’s Beating of Wings contrast starkly with Zara Zannettino’s Absurd Birds, whose exquisite feathers and clownlike expressions bestow distinct personalities on her avian subjects.

To witness the work of a thriving community of artists who have chosen making quilts as their medium is a joy for me, one that I will never tire of. I trust that our selection of work for the exhibition honors this diverse community, celebrates its many achievements, and continues to encourage and inspire the creation of new work.

About the Juror

Dutch native Petra Fallaux is an artist, curator, and writer based in Pittsburgh, PA.

Petra’s approach to making quilts is grounded in art. Contemporary painting and graphic/architectural design are major influences. Her ongoing pieced art quilt series, Formations, embodies her credo of shape, color, and simplicity. Formations #25 and Formations #28 traveled internationally as part of Color Improvisations 2.

Petra has juried multiple exhibitions including, On the Edge, Quilt=Art=Quilt in 2019, and Quilt National in 2017 as well as statewide exhibitions. Petra regularly writes about art and quilts. Her writings have been included in Fiberart Now and Art Quilt Quarterly. Petra wrote the introduction for Donita Simpson’s book of artist portraits, Detroit Framed and contributed to the catalogue of Circular Abstractions: Bull’s Eyes Quilts.

Petra earned a Master of Arts Management degree from Carnegie Mellon University and went on to direct Carnegie Mellon’s art galleries for over ten years, where she curated over one hundred exhibitions in a variety of media.

Since 2003, Petra has helped direct Springboard Design, an architecture and design firm whose work includes museum exhibition and public interest design. She co-curates the Springboard Gallery, which is located on Penn Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Garfield neighborhood.

Lisa Walton

It was an honor and delight to be asked to be a juror for such a prestigious exhibition. I was impressed by the quality and inventiveness of the entries. It was clear that many of the artists had pushed themselves to further explore the possibilities of textiles in a variety of ways.

It was especially interesting to see similar themes expressed in a variety of ways.

When looking at images of a work, my immediate impression is always the most critical. Regardless of the style, the work must grab my attention quickly and want to draw me in. Visual interest is so important. Then to get closer and examine the details is a fascinating exploration. I then can consider the techniques used and the quality of the execution.

Being part of a jury is very important as we all have different preferences and experience. Whilst we did not always agree it was very interesting to hear the reasons behind the other’s choices and to defend our own. We all brought a different perspective to the process.

I am sure there will be disappointed artists, but my advice would be to persevere. Many interesting entries just needed their concept to be further developed or techniques refined. Some entries were let down by their photography with distracting backgrounds, bad lighting or out of focus. If the quilt is not displayed to it’s full potential then that initial view by the juror is not going to be a positive experience.

Quilt Visions 2022 will be an outstanding exhibition and I thank the organisers for this opportunity.

About the Juror

Lisa Walton from Sydney, Australia, has been awarded many prizes for her quilts including major International and Australian Quilt shows. Lisa teaches Internationally and was awarded the Jewel Pearce Patterson Scholarship for Quilting Teachers by the International Quilt Association Houston USA. Lisa’s quilts have been exhibited in solo and joint exhibitions and her work is included in collections in the USA, Australia, and the UK. Her book – Beautiful Building Block Quilts was published by C&T Publishing. She has appeared on Quilting Arts TV and The Quilt Show.

Lisa was a Board Member and then President of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA). She is now teaching and lecturing virtually online as well as producing a series of Quilt Stories on her YouTube Channel.